Duane makes a fair point about chamber being used for pulling, but how many schools allow grabbing in sparring? Not many that I have seen.

There is a correlation here.

The difference between karate-do-karate designed to build character and better citizens through sport training and karate-jitsu-karate designed to win a real fight. There are some Okinawan karate teachers who are considering changing the name of what they do from karate to toude. This would be done to differentiate between do and jitsu. The new way and the old way.

People punch that way precisely because they fail to ask, "why?" Traditional martial arts instruction does not encourage critical thinking. The idea is that the art was perfected at some point in the past, and the task today is to preserve the sacred tradition. People just assume that because those silly movements are in the art, they must have a practical purpose. They don't.

People punch that way precisely because they fail to ask, "why?" Traditional martial arts instruction does not encourage critical thinking. The idea is that the art was perfected at some point in the past, and the task today is to preserve the sacred tradition. People just assume that because those silly movements are in the art, they must have a practical purpose. They don't.

Need I say any more!!!

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A man is but the product of his thoughts what he thinks, he becomes.

Has anybody considered the different levels of developement?-The level of creation. To learn the form of a technique. (The ideal form for learning purposes in a training envoronment. )-The level of application. (Allows for deformation of form to (counter-)attack at a certain time in conflict.)These different levels of developement have different purposes. These are also to outer edges of the scale which leads form developing towards applying.Sparring is limited in regards to these levels. (Kihon-kumite comes close to the first level, but has already different purposes. Sparring limits the level of application because it is rule-bound. EDIT: Karate isn't rule-bound!!) Your job as a karateka (MAist) it is to be aware of these limitations and try to work within or around them. Be creative and be critical.

Great point! Karate as a form of SD isn't bound by rules.It's only bound by our own level of restraint.Here is the part where we decide how much force we can use in defense of us or others.Punching or other strikes are to be used with the goal of stopping the threat, not scoring points.This of course is the traditional view on the subject.I realize that competition is fun and challenging. It just is a different way of doing karate.There is room for everyone to have there version of karate. We should respect that .

May I add that "karate punching" is dare i say not punching at all but a practice of Kyoushi

Excuse my ignorance, what is Kyoushi? I know Kyusho and tuite. Considering all the time the Okinawans spend on hitting the makiwara with the "karate punch" I think it is safe to say that it is a punch-at least some of the time.